EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings on Wednesday announced the signing of kicker Kai Forbath.

The fifth-year pro has made 69 of 82 field goals (84.1 percent) and 124 of 127 extra points (97.6 percent) since October 2012 when he joined Washington as a free agent. He was with the Redskins until October 2015 and finished last season with the Saints.

Forbath will replace Blair Walsh, a fifth-year pro who was* ***released** on Tuesday.

Forbath played 41 regular-season games for Washington and 10 games for New Orleans, who re-signed him this offseason but released him in September.

The addition of Forbath will reunite the veteran with former college teammates Jeff Locke and Kevin McDermott. Forbath and Locke took the field together for two seasons at UCLA (2009-10). McDermott first long snapped at UCLA in 2011.

Forbath capped his college career in 2010. He made 85 of 101 (84.2 percent) field goals and 102 of 104 (98.1 percent) extra points for the Bruins and won the Lou Groza Award (nation's top kicker) for his 2009 season.

The Cowboys initially signed Forbath as an undrafted rookie in August 2011, but he was placed on the non-football injury list. Tampa Bay claimed him off waivers from Dallas in April 2012, but he was released that August.

Forbath ranks second in Washington history for career field goal percentage (minimum of 50 attempts) with a success rate of 87.0 percent (60 of 69).

After joining Washington in Week 6, Forbath set a record that has since been tied with 17 consecutive made field goals to start a pro career.